Nightmare
by Navy Babe
Summary: Kate finally has a nightmare...Set after 'Bete Noire'. Rating for some language.


Nightmare

Disclaimer: Kate, Gibbs, and the rest of the characters aren't mine. Wouldn't want Ari anyway! I'm just borrowing them for this creative endeavor of mine.

Spoilers: Big time for 'Bete Noire'. I suppose that in a strange way Kate's nightmare could be considered a spoiler for 'Reveille'(see note).

Note: If Kate's nightmare sounds like Gibbs' in 'Reveille' it's supposed to. :P Thought you'd like to know. Thanks to my friend Amanda (redcherry11) for beta-ing!

Rating: PG-13 for language.

Pairing: Kate/Gibbs of course!

Summary: Kate finally has a nightmare...

'Well…I suppose that never say never would be appropriate at this time.' Kate thought to herself. She had woken up a few seconds ago, sweat pouring down her skin, her breathing labored.

Caitlin Todd had never had a nightmare. She had never feared the boogeyman, or dreamt that she was in front of the school in her underwear. But nothing stays the same, and this dream had terrified her more than any serial killer could.

She lay back down in her bed, trying to snuggle down into the covers, attempting to warm herself up. She could still remember every sight and sound from her dream. She could still hear sound of the zipper on the body bag, see the cold vacant look in his beautiful blue eyes, and hear the cold chuckling of the terrorist, in the corner. She shivered just thinking about it, not wanting to go back there, go back to Ducky's morgue.

She had never had a nightmare. But being held hostage by a terrorist seemed to have jumbled up her life into a million different pieces.

The next day…

Kate showed up at the office, big black circles under her eyes. She ran out of concealer today of all days, and didn't have time to run over to the drugstore to pick up some more. She was running on about three cups of coffee, and was fairly certain that she would have at least three more in her system before the hour was over.

Gibbs showed up to work that morning, his arm in a sling. He hates the stupid thing. Makes him feel weak and helpless. Screw doctors, the damn thing will be in the trash by this afternoon.

He looks over at Kate, studying her carefully. According to Ducky, the terrorist seemed to have taken a special interest in her. He had gritted his teeth when Ducky told him everything that the terrorist had done to her, frisking her on the morgue table, rendering her basically helpless when she tried to stab him.

That man had no right to touch what was his. When Kate, had suddenly become his, he wasn't completely sure, and didn't want to devote the time to analyzing what that meant. She was a fellow agent, but she was his fellow agent and his prodigy. She, somehow, was his.

And as his, he should have been the one to take her out of the freezer, he should have been the one she was leaning on as she walked out of the morgue. But instead he was knocked unconscious by a bastard that had put a round through him.

He clenched his jaw again as he sat down and a bolt of pain raced through him. He was going to find that bastard if it was the last thing he ever did. For himself, for Gerald, for Ducky, but most of all for Kate.

That night…

Kate and Gibbs are both still at headquarters when they turn out the light, and all that's left is the glow from both of their computer screens. They both reach up and turn on the lamp that is on their desk, and continue to work on the files in front of them.

Neither wants to go home. For Kate, nothing is there except for the promise of another nightmare plagued night, and for Gibbs there is nothing but a picture to take his anger out on. And he's pretty sure that if his neighbors hear another gunshot they might call the police. And maybe, neither wants to go home, because that would mean leaving the other.

Kate gets up, picking up a few files, and walks them over to Gibbs' desk. She glances down in the trashcan, and smirks as she sees his sling. She switches her files to her other hand, the bruise that the terrorist gave her was beginning to throb.

She hands the files to Gibbs and he glances up at her, nodding. She nods back, and turns to head back to her desk, but is startled when she feels him stand up behind her, and lightly grab her arm.

He had just barely seen it out of the corner of his eye. In fact, he was pretty sure that he wouldn't have even seen it if the light from his lamp hadn't caught it just right. She turned around to face him, and looked down at where his fingers had curled around her upper arm.

His gaze was focused on the ring of purple surrounding her wrist. The hand that was gripping her arm let go, and he let one finger drop to where the skin stood out. He lightly touched the bruise that wrapped around her entire wrist. She watched with interest his reaction, watched as his jaw began to tighten and he got a dangerous look in his eye.

That bastard had left a mark on her. There, on her wrist, was a purple marking in the shape of a man's hand. That man, the terrorist, the bastard, had left a mark on his Kate.

His finger fell away, and Kate glanced up once more at him. Something dark was brewing in his eyes, something that she had never really seen before. A part of her was scared, but she knew that he would never hurt her. But another part of her, a darker part was excited. He was enraged that the terrorist had hurt her, and his protectiveness brought to the surface some of the feelings she had secretly harbored for him.

He stepped close to her, his breath beating down on her face. She was suddenly paralyzed, she couldn't move away from him, even if she wanted to. Which she most definitely did not.

His good arm shot out and wrapped around her waist, bringing her even closer to him. She gasped, but still didn't even try to move. She wanted to know, she had to know, where this was going to go.

Before she realized what was happening, his lips were smothering hers. His tongue opened her lips demandingly, and began fervently exploring her mouth. One hand came to rest on his good shoulder, and the other tangled itself in his hair. Her fingers clenched against his shirt as his lips continued to move over hers. The terrorist had left a mark on her, and now Gibbs was taking back what was his, claiming her for once and for all.

When he finally broke off the kiss, Kate looked up at him, her eyes viewing him with surprising clarity. Somehow, she understood what had just happened, why he had done it. And she accepted it, and that's what surprised him the most.

At least he thought that's what would surprise him the most, until tears began welling up in her eyes. He regarded her carefully, pulling her close as tears began to fall. "I have nightmares Gibbs." She murmured.

"I know Katie, I know." He whispered into her hair, any anger or possessiveness that might have flowed through him suddenly evaporating into concern and care. "I'm sorry."

He gently brings the hand that's not around her waist and caresses away her tears, despite the slight protest of his shoulder. She takes a deep shuddering breath, and looks up at him again. She raises herself up on her tiptoes, and brings their lips together once more.

She still has the nightmares sometimes, like tonight. It's always the same one, where she sees Gibbs laying in that body bag on the slab. Sometimes, the terrorist didn't lock her up in the freezer, and she watches as he shoots Gibbs in the head, unable to do anything. Either way though, she always ends up seeing his eyes vacant, and feels his cold skin. And no matter what, she always wakes up with his name on her lips.

But there is one thing that's changed. Now, whenever she wakes up, scared and breathless, he's there to calm her down. He rolls over, and takes her into his arms until she can breathe again.

Maybe nightmares aren't such a bad thing after all.

Please review and tell me what you guys thought!


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